Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-07-17
he absolute necessity of silence, checked

s'your sister jess is dead too; she died two
days ago."
n.Jess dead! jess dead! II is not true.
How do YOU know that she is dead?"
"Never mind; / will tell you when we
are married. She is dead, and except for
your uncle you are alone in the world. II
Won persist in this he will soon be dead
too, and his blood will be upon your head,
for YOU will have murdered him."
land if | were to say yes, how would
that HELM him?n she cried, wildly. He
is condemned by your court-martial-you
would only deceive me and murder him
after ALL"
s'On nv honor, no. Before the marriage
I will give this warrant tothe pastor, and
he shall burn it IS o o as the service Is
said. But, Bessie, don't you see that these
fools who tried your uncle are only like
clay in my hands? | q bend them this
way and that, and whatever thesong sing
they will echo it. They do not wish to
shoot your uncle, and will be glad, indeed,
In get out of it. YOur uncle shall go in
safety TO Natal, or stay here if lie wills.
His property shall be secured for him, and
compensation paid for the burning of his
house. swear it before God"
She looked at him, and he could see that
she was inclined to believe him.
1T is true, Bessie, it is true will re-
build the place myself, and if i can find
the man who fired it he shall be shot.
Come, listen 10 me, and be reasonable.
The man you loved is dead, and no amount
of signing can bring him to your arms. /
alone am left, who love you better than
life, better than man ever loved a woman
before. Look at me, am l not a proper
man for any maid to wed, though | be
half a Boer? And | have the brains, too,
Bessie, the brains that shall make us both
great. We were made for each other-l
have known it for years, and slowly, slow
ly, | have worked my way to you till at
last you are in my reach" and he stretched
ont both his arms towards her.
my darling" he went on, in a soft,
half-dreamy voice, my love and my de
sire, yield, ~now-yield! Do not force this
new crime upOn NE. | want to grow good
for your sake, and have done with blood
shed. When You are my wife | believe
that the evil will 90 ont Of Inc and | shall
grow good. Yield, and never shall woman
have had such a husband rs will be to
you. / will make your life soft and beau
tiful to you, as women love life to be.
You shall have everything that money can
buy and power bring. Yield for your
uncle's sake and for the sake OF the great
love / bear you"
As he spoke he was slowly drawing
nearer Bessie, whose face wore a half
fascinated expression. AS he came the
wretched woman gathered herself together
and put out her hand to repulse him. No,
no" she cried, 81 hate you-l cannot be
false to him, living or dead. | shall kill
myself know | SHALL
He made no answer, but simply came
a.ways nearer till at last his arms closed
round her shrinking form and he drew her
to him as easily as though she were a babe.
And then all at once she seemed to yield.
That embrace was the outward sign OF his
cruel mastery, and she struggled no more,
mentally or physically.
"Will you marry me, darling will you
marry me-" he whispered with his lips so
close to the golden curls that Jess, strain
ing her ears outside, could only Just catch
the words
"Ob, l suppose 50; hut / shall diet
will kill me"
He strained her to his heart and kissed
her beautiful face again and again, and
next moment Jess heard the footsteps OF
the returning sentry and saw him leave go
of her. jamie, too, caught her by the
hand and dragged her away from the wall,
and in ten seconds more she was once
more ascending the hillside toward the
Hottentot's kennel. She had gone to find
ont how matters lay, and she had, in
deed, found out. To attempt to portray
the fury, the Indignation and the thirst to
he avenged upon the tiend who had at
tempted to murder her and her lover, and
had bought her dear sisters honor at the
price OF her innocent old uncle's life, would
be impossible. All her WEAKNESS was for.
gotten; she was mad with what she had
seen aud heard, with the knowledge OF
what had been done and what was about
TO be done. She even forgot her passion
in it, and swore that Muller should never
marry Bessie while she lived to p%reVentit
Had she been a bad woman she might have
seen herein IN opportunity, for Bessie once
married to Muller, John would be free to
marry her, but the idea never even entered
her mind. Whatever Jess errors may
have been, she was Il self-sacriicing, hon
orable woman, and would have died rather
than take such an advantage. Presently
they reached the shelter again II crep,
in.
Light 4 candle" said jess.
Jantie fumbled around and finally struck
a match. The bit of candle they had been
using, however, was nearly burned out,
when from the rubbish in the corner he
produced q box full of ENDS" some OF
them three or tour inches long. Jess, in
that queer sort Of way in which trihes dc
strike us, when the mindis undergoing 8
severe strain. instantly remembered that
for years she had been unable to discover
what became OF the odd pieces of the can,
dies used in the house. Now the mystery
was explained.
Now 30 outside and leave ME. / want
to think"
The H%ottentot obeyed, and, seated there
upon the heap of skins, her forehead rest
ing on her hand aud her fingers run
through her silky hair, now wet with the
rain, she began 10 review the position. II
was evident TO her that Frank Muller
would be as good as his word. She knew
him too well to doubt it for a moment. Il
Bessie did not marry him he would muir.
der the old man as he had tried TO murder
her and John, only this time iudicially
and then abduct her afterwards. Bessie
was the only price that he was prepared t.
take in exchange for her uncle's life. But
it was impossible to allow Bessie to he 81
sacrificed; the thought was horrible to her,
How, then, was it TO be prevented? She
thought again Of going down and confront
ing Frank Muller, and openly accusing
him of her attempted murder, only, how
ever, to dismiss the idea. Who would be
lieve her? And If they did believe, what
good would it do? She would only b,
imprisoned and kept out Of harms way, o
possibly murdered without further ado
Then she thought of attempting to com
municate with her uncle and Bessie, Il
tell them that John was, 30 far as sh,
knew, alive, only to recognize the impossi
bility of doing 50 nov that the sentry wa
back. Besides, what object could b,
served? The knowledge that John was sliv'
might, it is true, nerve up Bessie to resist
Muller lint than tho cole rasnlt Uould n,